Adsense 1

Search This Blog

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Project Ara from Google

Project Ara

The smartphone is one of the most empowering and intimate objects in our lives. Yet most of us have little say in how the device is made, what it does, and how it looks. And 5 billion of us don't have one. What if you could make thoughtful choices about exactly what your phone does, and use it as a creative canvas to tell your own story?

Does anyone remember the Phone Bloks concept video going around last year? Well Google has their hands on Project Ara and is launching the first modular phone this year! I can't wait, getting to customize your phone anyway you want too and Google is allowing anyone to make parts for these. With the great success they had in allowing anyone to develop apps for Android it's no wonder they would stick to this concept.

Here's how it will work, first you buy a starter kit ($50) which comes with the frame, display, battery, low-end CPU (upgradable of course) and WIFI. Then you buy modules to customize your phone anyway you deem fit. The largest screen they will offer at first is only 5 inches but they plan on changing that in the future. I am very excited to see how this comes out! If you want to get involved in the development of Project Ara here's some info and make sure to check out their website!

We’ve created Spiral 2 developer hardware based on MDK v0.2 to enable prototyping and development of modules for the Ara platform. Spiral 2 developer hardware consists of: 1) a board that incorporates the UniPro Switch in the Ara endoskeleton and multiple modules interfaces with UniPro Bridge ASICs supporting multiple bridged and tunneled protocols; 2) an Application Processor (AP) board with a modified version of Linaro Android; 3) connectors and cables.

We're also in the process of developing APIs that will let developers and artists (and developer-artists) create novel ways for users to customize their devices. The Phone Maker API will allow digital artists to create aesthetic customization experiences for shells, and the Phone Maker API will allow developers to help users create functionally customized devices with just a few clicks.